The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1:

• On Wednesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. During Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) opening statement, he accused Zuckerberg of having blood on his hands—emphatically stating “you have a product that is killing people” as those in attendance applauded. Zuckerberg was also notably grilled by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). Could strict regulations on social media be coming via new legislation? Though there is clearly bipartisan support for legislation to upend Section 230, government should not be in the business of regulating speech online—it ultimately leads to the censorship of American citizens expressing opinions contrary to mainstream narratives.
• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg publicly apologized to families negatively impacted by social media after being implored by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) to take accountability. Hawley, who notably wrote the “Tyranny of Big Tech” in 2021, has asserted that social media is one of the biggest threats to America.
• A newly released Quinnipiac poll shows President Joe Biden with a 6-point national lead over Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Though, as Rich notes, the polling results may not be as problematic for Trump as the media is making it seem. First, the poll relied on “registered” voters, not “likely” voters. Plus, it’s a national poll and doesn’t consider state polling. According to a new Bloomberg News/Morning poll, Trump leads Biden in a hypothetical 2020 rematch by 3 to 10 points in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Nevada, Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona. Trump’s projected lead expands even further when considering the third-party candidacies of Robert Kennedy Jr., Jill Stein, and Colonel West.
• Heather Knight of The New York Times writes: “Fifteen months after city officials were ready to throw a party in the Noe Valley Town Square to celebrate funding for a tiny bathroom with a toilet and sink, nothing but mulch remains in its place. The toilet project broke down the minute taxpayers realized the city was planning an event to celebrate $1.7 million in state funds that local politicians had secured for the lone 150-square-foot structure. That’s enough to purchase a single-family home in San Francisco—with multiple bathrooms. Even more confounding was the explanation that the tiny bathroom would take two to three years to install because of the city’s labyrinthine permitting and building process. City leaders quickly canceled their potty party, and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California took back the funds.” You can read the full story about San Francisco’s $1.7 million toilet here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/24/us/san-francisco-toilet.html
• Bud-Light has announced a partnership with comedian Shane Gillis. Will the Gillis affiliation be enough for Bud-Light to bounce back from the criticism it received after working with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.